PUBLIC ACCESS TO RECORDS AND MEETINGS
OF NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS
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In this City and County of San Francisco which is named after Saint Francis of Assisi we have many Community Based Organizations that have chosen to serve the constituents of San Francisco. Some have chosen with intent to organize and function as a non-profit using the benefits that are given by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), San Francisco, the State and the Federal government.
While many Community Based Organizations (CBOs) have done us all proud in San Francisco - some few have brought disgrace by using the non-profit status to prey upon our Elders, our Youth, and in general upon all San Franciscans. The City and County of San Francisco have precise language in its City's Administrative Code Chapter 12L. The intent of 12L is to establish a policy where the City and County of San Francisco ensures nonprofit organizations that choose to do business with San Francisco do so with openness and maintain the closest possible ties to communities within San Francisco the nonprofits intend to serve. There are some nonprofits that get $250,000 and over per year funding provided by the City and County of San Francisco. Right now the Administrative Code 12L covers these agencies - the Administrative Code should apply to those who get anything over $75,000 to really have clear Accountability and Transparency. This will require some changes but these changes are long over due. It is a shame that today the City and County of San Francisco gives away millions of dollars to nonprofits with little or no Accountability and Transparency. One nonprofit that continues to defy San Francisco is Literacy for Environmental Justice (LEJ). The Public should then be permitted upon request to have access to the Financial Records of those nonprofits that get funding from San Francisco and inspect the following:
1. Most recent budget Nonprofits are required to make a good faith effort to include on its Board at least one member of the community served by the nonprofit. The nonprofit is required to give public notice of Board vacancies, allow members of the public to nominate them for Board membership and allow the public to comment on Board membership. Those nonprofits that receive $250,000 from the City and County of San Francisco are required to do the following: a. Open Board Meetings . At least 2 Board meetings per year must be open. . Members of the public who attend must be allowed to address the Board. There must be at least 30 minutes of designated Public Meeting. . At least 30 days before the Public Board Meeting, the nonprofit must send written notice of the meeting date, time, and location to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors for posting:
City Hall, Room 244 . Upon request, a meeting of the PUBLIC must be told the time, the date and place of the open Board Meeting. PUBLIC COMMENT At every public meeting the public can address the Board of Directors on any item of interest to the public relating to the operations or services provided by the nonprofit organization. At any designated public meeting, the Board of Directors may adopt reasonable regulations to insure that the intent of this Section 12L is carried out. Provided that the Board of Directors allows for at least 30 minutes of public comment at each designated public meeting. It is not right for crooks - to many to mention who prey upon our children and make money from grants and gifts of money they receive from the City and County of San Francisco. Mayor Gavin Newsom, Ed Harrington, Harvey Rose all say that the time is here to bring some accountability. Time will tell. We still have the Bayview Hunters Point Advocates who cannot open up the books and account for the $1.5 million plus they have received from the City and County of San Francisco. We cannot get the San Francisco Environment to open its books, look us in the eye and tell us the truth - linked to the $13.3 million mitigation grants it received from the State of California. San Francisco is named after Saint Francis of Assisi not some thugs who can do as they please. Especially not for thugs who live outside San Francisco and yet prey upon our children. Time the District 10 Supervisor is exposed for her role in the distribution of mitigation funds. Over $900,000 going to Enola Maxwell Middle School. Young Community Developers should have their books open to the Public. Over the years millions of dollars have been wasted. Of late the crooks are jumping ship. The youth that should have been helped were not and others prey with intent upon our youth. Good leaders know the way, show the way, and go the way. Time Mayor Gavin Newsom and the Controller's Office set the tone and bring justice which long over due. |
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